white



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. E. WHITE.

001m P'LANTER.

No. 379,838. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

HlllHl N. PETERS PhulwLllh Jgmnheh Wnshmglon. 0. c,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. E. WHITE.

CORN PLANTER.

No. 379,888. Patented Mar.'20, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. W'HITE, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEERE & MANSURCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CO RN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,838, dated March20, 1888.

Application filed January 3, 1888. Serial No. 259,573. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES E. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of corn planters in which a mainframe mounted on supporting-wheels is hinged to aforward frame providedwith runners or furrow-openers, and in which lever mechanism fulcrumedto the rear main frame is used to raise and lower and to adjust and fixthe height of the forward frame relatively to the rear frame.

A leading object of my invention is to provide a hand-lever and afoot-lever, both pivoted to the rear frame of the planter, and thefoot-lever hinged at its forward end to the forward frame and itsrearwardly-extended end connected with the rearwardly-extended end ofthe hand-lever by a link-rod and spring in such manner that when thehand-lever islocked in a fixed position with reference to the otherparts of the planter, and in such a position as to hold the runners inthe ground, they (the runners and forward frame) will be held ordepressed by a yielding spriug-pressure,the force of whichspring-pressure is controlled or regulated by adjusting the hand-lever,and is of such degree as to cause the runners to cut into hard soil andthrough ordinary obstructions, while it permits them to rise or yieldupwardly to pass over still harder obstructions, which it is notpracticable or desirable to cut through, and, further, to cause therunners to conform to inequalities of the ground,whether in hardness andmellowness or in irregularities of the surface, so as to deposit theseed in such ground at substantially uniform depths.

A further object of my invention is to connect the hand and foot leversin such manner that the hand-lever may be used to raise and lower anddepress the forward frame and to lock and hold the forward frame with aspringpressure,and the foot-lever be used to raise and lower the forwardframe while the hand-lever is in either its locked or unlocked postion,and both levers be used together to raise and lower the forward frameand to lock and hold said frame in position rigidly againstdownwardly-acting force and with a yielding springpressure, ashereinbefore stated, against upwardly-acting force.

A further object of my invention is to provide a connecting link-rodbetween the footlever and forward frame having an extended upward endwith footplates, on which the driver may place his feet to depress theforward frame.

The various features of construction and the combinations employed by mein one method of embodying my improvements in an ordinary planter arehereinafter fully described, and are recited in the claims herewith.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the same by figures as follows:Figure 1 is a top plan of the principal parts of an ordinary cornplanterpartly broken away to show my in1- provements which are applied thereto;Fig. 2, an elevation partly in section; Fig. 3, a perspective showingthe hand and foot levers, their spring-connection with each other, theconnection of the foot-lever and forward frame, the curved rack-bar, andparts of the seat-bar and planter-axle. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevationin the line 4 4 in Fig. l.

The rear frame, A, of the ordinary planter (shown in the drawings)consists of bars a,aXle a, and bar a, supported on wheels 13 andsupporting a seat, 0, on a bar, 0', and brace 0 The bars a are hinged attheir forward ends to the transverse bar 11 of the forward frame, D,

which forward frame further consists of a forward transverse bar, d, andbars d which have rearwardly-extended ends (i The runners orfurrow-openers (1* are secured to the frame D. This construction ofplanter is an ordinary type thereof, and the hereinafter de scription ofone method of applying my improvements thereto will enable any oneskilled in the art to apply them to any planter to which they areapplicable.

E is a hand-lever pivoted at e to a bracket projecting from the axle-bara. This leverE has a handle part, c, and a rearwardly-extending part, c,which parts together constitute a bell-crank lever. The lever E is alsoprovided with an ordinary locking dog or pawl, 6 which engages with theteethof a curved rack-barorsegmentbar, e, which rackbar is also fixed tothe axle-bar a. The pawl e is operated by an ordinary thumb-lever, 6

G is afoot-lever fulcrumed or pivoted on the same pivot as the lever E.It will be evident, however, that it may be pivoted on a separate pivot;but said pivot should be coincident with or substantially in line withthe pivot of the lever E. The lever E may also be pivoted to anysuitable part of or projection from the rear or main frame, A, and therack-bar 6 may be fixed to any similar projection from or part of saidframe. The forward end, 9, of the lever G extends forward and has aseries of holes, 9, through either of which a pivot-b01139, passes tosecure it to a link, I, hereinafter described. The rear end, 9 of thelever G extends rearwardly beyond the extended end e of the lever E, andhas foot-plates 'g on its rear end. The rear end of the arm 6 of lever Eis bent to fit over a flattened part of the end 9 of the lever G, andboth arms 6 have coincident holes through which a rod, h, passes. Therod It has a nut, h, on its lower end and a nut, h on its upper end. Aspiral spring, H, encircles the rod it between the nut h and the rearend, of lever G.

The link I is pivoted at its lower end between lugsj, which projectupwardly from a plate, J, which is fixed to the rear ends and undersides of the extensions 01 of the bars d The link I-is slotted andreceives the forward end, 9, of the lever G in said slot, where it isheld by the pivot-bolt 9 which can be placed in either of a series ofholes, a, in the link I, to adjust the parts for deeper or shallowerplanting. The bolt 9 may be adjusted in the holes to increase ordiminish the leverage, and also for deeper or shallower planting. Thelink I has footplates 12 on its upper end, on which the driver may placehis feet to force the run ners into the ground, when desirable to do sofor any reason. It will be evident that the foot-lever G may beconnected with the forward frame by any suitable hinge-connection, or,if preferred, be connected therewith, as shown and described in LettersPatent to James W. Atkinson, of March 9, 1880, No. 225,318.

At Figs. 2 and 4 the planter is shown, by full lines, adjusted foroperation in planting, the hand-lever being there shown as locked in aposition to hold the runners d very deep in the soil.

The depth of penetration of the soil can be regulated and controlled byadjusting and looking the hand-lever at various positions on therack-bar c and, as shown by dotted lines at Fig. 4, while adjusted ateither of said positions, the runner can rise to pass over obstructions,and in so doing will move the foot-lever G and compress the spring H,which resists said movement with a yielding force. When the runner andforward frame are raised by an obstruction or passing over ground withuneven surface, as last described, the hand-lever will remain fixed inits locked position and will prevent the run.-

her and forward frame from sinking any lower than as gaged by saidhand-lever with an unyielding or positive force, arising from the factof the rear end of the part 6 of the handlever resting directly upon andin contact with the rear part ofthe foot-lever; and for the same reason,when the hand-lever is swung rearwardly to elevate the forward frame andrun ners, itwill act positively on the foot-lever and give a positivemotion to said parts. The runners and forward frame maybe elevated, forturning the planter around or for other purposes, by swinging thehand-lever rearwardly, as shown bydotted lines at Fig. 2. By holding thepawl 0 out of engagement with the rack-bar e, either by hand orotherwise, the forward frame will be free to rise and fall, in themanner of an ordinary planter, without any locking lifting-levermechanism. By removing the nut 71. the spring H and rod h may .beremoved, or the spring rendered inoperative, and the runners and forwardframe can then be raised and lowered by the foot-lever alone. rod h thetension of the spring H may be adjusted to' cause it to exert a greateror less depressing force on the forward frame and runners, as may berequired in soil of different degrees of mellowness, or for otherpurposes.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a corn-planter, and in combination,

By adjusting either nut h or it on the substantially as described, withthe front and rear frames thereof hinged to each other, a hand-lever anda foot-lever both fulcrumed on IOO the rear frame at points in line witheach other substantially as described, with the front and rear framesthereof hinged to each other, a hand-lever and a foot-lever bothfulcrumed on the rear frame, the rear part of the foot-lever resting orlocated partly beneath a rear extension from the hand-lever,whereby thehandlever may be used to operate the foot-lever or the foot-lever beused independently of the hand-lever, and a link hinged at one end tothe forward frame, at its middle portion to the forward end of thefoot-lever, and having an upper end extended above said foot-lever andprovided with footplates, for the purpose specified.

3. In a corn-planter, and in combination, substantially as described,with the front and rear frames thereof hinged to each other, afoot-lever hinged or fulcrumed on the rear frame, and a link hinged atits lower end to the front frame, at its middle portion to thefoot-lever, and having an upper end extended above its connection withthe foot-lever and provided with foot-plates, for the purpose specified.

4. In a corn-planter, and in combination, substantially as described,with the front and rear frames thereof hinged to each other, a lockinghand-lever and a foot-lever both fulerumed on the rear frame, theforward end of the foot-lever connected by ahinge-connection with theforward frame and its part in rear of its fulcrum resting or locatedpartly beneath a rear extension from the hand-lever, where the twolevers are yieldingly connected by a spring, which forms an element inthis combination and by means of which a yielding downwardly-actingforce may be used on the forward frame and runners, for the purposespecified.

5. In a corn-planter, and in combination, substantially as described,with the front and rear frames thereof hinged to each other, a lockinghand-lever and a foot-lever both fulcrumed on the rear frame, theforward end of the foot-lever connected by a hinge-connection with theforward frame and its part in rear of its fulcrum resting or locatedpartly beneath a rear extension from the hand-lever, where the twolevers are yieldingly connected by a spring, and a rod with suitablenuts or heads on its ends, which spring, rod, and nuts orheads formelements in this combination, and by means of which a yieldingdownwardly-acting force may be used on the forward frame and runners,for the purpose specified.

6. In a corn-planter, and in combination with the front and rearframesthereof hinged to each other, a foot-lever and a hand-leverconnected by a spring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a corn-planter, and in combination with the front and rear framesthereof hinged to each other, a footlever and a hand-lever connected bya spring and a rod, substantially as described, and for. the purposespecified.

8. In a corn-planter, and in combination with the front and rear framesthereof hinged to each other, a foot-lever and a hand locklever hingedto the rear frame and connected with each other by a spring, H, and rodh, with nuts or heads, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a corn -planter, and in combination with the front and rear framesthereof hinged to each other, a footlever and a hand lock-1ever hingedto the rear frame and connected with each other by a spring, H, and arod, h, having an adjustable nut on one or both of its ends,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a corn-planter, and in combination with the front and rear framesthereof hinged to each other, a foot-lever having foot-plates on itsrear end and its forward end connected with the forward frame by ahinged link, I,

having foot-plates on its upper extended end, and a locking hand-leverconnected bya rod, h, and a yielding spring, H, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

11. In a corn-planter having a front and a rear frame hinged to eachother and in combination therewith a foot-lever and ahandlever fulerumedcoincidently but independently of each other on the rear frame, andconnected, the forward end of the foot-lever with the forward frame andthe rear ends of both levers by a rod and spring, in such manner thatthe hand-lever acts directly on the footlever when used to operate thefoot-lever to raise the forward frame, and acts thereon by means of thespring when used to depress the forward frame and runners, and whichpermits the forward frame to be raised by the foot-lever while thehand-lever is locked, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. In a corn-planter having a front and a rear frame hinged to eachother and in combination therewith a foot-lever and a locking bell-crankhand-lever fulcrumed coincidently on the rear frame, the foot leverconnected at its forward end with the forward frame and at its rear end,by means ofa yielding connection, with the hand-lever, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

13. In a corn-planter having a front and a rear frame hinged to eachother and in co1nbination therewith a bell-crank hand-lever,

E, rock-bar e, foot-lever G, connecting-link 1, spring H, and rod h,with suitable nuts or heads, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

14. In combination with the front and rear frames of a corn-planterhinged to each other, a foot-lever, G, hinged to the rear frame, and alink, I, hinged to the forward frame and provided with foot-plates t"and a series of holes, 1', for adjustably connecting it with thefoot-lever, substantially as described.

15. In combination with the front and rear frames of a corn-planterhinged to each other, a foot-lever. G, hinged to the rear frame andprovided with a series of holes, 9, by means of which it is adjustablyconnected with the link I, which is hinged to the forward frame,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. In a corn-planter having a forward and a rear frame hinged to eachother, bellcrank lever E, and foot-lever G, connected bya rod, h, whichpasses through coincident holes in said levers, and by a spring, H, anda link connecting said foot lever with the forward frame, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

In testimonywhereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. IVHITE.

Witnesses:

J. P. OAKLEAF, W. J. ENTRIKIN.

